


Day 6: Movie AU

by ShahHira



Series: Kaigami Week 2020! [5]
Category: JUDGE EYES: 死神の遺言 | Judgment, 龍が如く | Ryuu ga Gotoku | Yakuza (Video Games)
Genre: Actor Yagami, Angst, Drama, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Movie AU, Stunt Coordinator Kaito, inspired by the kimura video
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:54:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23989936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShahHira/pseuds/ShahHira
Summary: Yagami in a side case: listen, I know you thought my fighting style was cool and all, but you want me to fence? While wearing an eyepatch? And I have to speak english the whole time????
Relationships: Kaito Masaharu/Yagami Takayuki
Series: Kaigami Week 2020! [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1721029
Kudos: 14





	Day 6: Movie AU

**Author's Note:**

> aaaaaaaaaaa sorry I'm a day late! Ramadan and quarantine do NOT mix well. I'm dying over here
> 
> This was shared on the rarepair discord, and I need everyone to listen to kimura talk in english bc he is very cute and the summary is what my brain came up with. Obviously for this fic, I made a few tweaks and changes but overall that is the premise. The ending is really abrupt imo but I liked how this one turned out, enjoy!

“Oh, Yagami-san! Glad I caught you before you left the set!”

His manager is waving him over and Yagami, like the gentleman he is, saves her from awkwardly shuffling across the parking lot in her heels by meeting her halfway.

“Great job out there today, as usual.” Yagami gives her a tired smile because that is all his muscles are capable of producing. Ugh, all he wants to do after today’s brutal routine is pass out on his couch...

“I know you must be exhausted after today, so I’ll keep it brief. As you know, the length of our shoots for the current movie have been extended to make up for the temporary deficiency of staff. However, I just got word right now that we’ve got a ton of potential new recruits to help reduce the workload.”

“Really?” Yagami says, not really interested. More behind-the-scenes bullshit he couldn’t spare the energy to think about. If it doesn’t directly involve him, he doesn’t care.

She nods, ever enthusiastic. “Yup! All they have to do is finish up the paperwork for HR and they can be brought on set. A few are even willing to start as soon as tomorrow! Let’s see,” she rummages through some pages on her ever-present clipboard, “we have… some IT, an on-site nurse, one video editor specialist, a few interns... oh, and a stunt coordinator!”

“Stunt coordinator?” That really grabs Yagami’s attention. Finally, the higher-ups decided to invest money in streamlining the choreography process so he doesn’t have to waste his time and blunder his way through complicated, samurai-era action scenes. A skilled professional guiding him through the motions might actually let him go home before the sun sets. It’s the first piece of good news he’s heard in weeks. “Who are they? What’s their name?”

“Ah,” she hums, finding the name. “That would be…”

______

“Masaharu Kaito, at your service. I look forward to working with you!”

He’s… a big guy. A really big guy. It’s the first thing Yagami notices when he enters the studio, bowing in formal introduction to the team. The loud orange silk shirt and toothy grin do nothing but help him grant an impressive presence. His eyes find Yagami. “So this is the Yagami person I’m workin’ with?”

“Yup.” Yagami steps forward. “Hope you know which way’s the pointy end of a sword.”

Kaito barks out a laugh. Yagami’s intrigued at the ease he shows in a new environment. He motions to the props.

“C’mon, newbie, let’s get to work. Show me what you got up your sleeve.”

The training regimen is brutal from the start, and in this situation he doesn’t want it any other way. On top of the fact that there’s so much catch-up work for Kaito to familiarize himself with, Yagami wants to see what this guy’s made of: if the bluster’s all for show or if those muscles have some oomph to them.

Turns out Yagami’s given him too harsh of an evaluation. Might be because he’s overworked and in desperate need of some way of relieving the burden his team has put on his shoulders - he’s talented, but he won’t run himself ragged at the cost of salvaging the movie - but in the days and weeks that follow he’s learned Kaito’s got the bite to back his bark. With each passing day there’s less and less bullshit for Yagami to slog through alone. This guy knows what he’s doing, from revamping the choreography routine or kicking him into shape where he’s weakest. It’s hard to sword fight with an eyepatch without an expert saving you precious time instructing you where you’re going wrong; simple trial and error isn’t gonna cut it.

Yagami has warmed up to him fairly quickly. Yeah, the attitude’s there, and he can get a little pompous at times, but it’s well-earned from what he’s had to see. And it kinda suits him, to be honest. The guy never looks out of his element when they go out for after-work drinks, entertaining the crew with a healthy dose of exaggeration and suspension of disbelief.

It’s not just Kaito, either. Once the cloud of ever-looming work lets up, Yagami discovers a whole cast of interesting people right under his nose. There’s Sugiura, the video specialist, who’s innovative input just barely prevents him from getting temporarily kicked off-set every damn day for being a nuisance. The new on-site nurse, Okubo, attempts to speak reason into him, which usually ends in the well-meaning guy getting dragged into said trouble. There’s Mafuyu, their legal affairs consultant. She comes around the set an unsettlingly number of times, but there’s hardly doom and gloom on her face so it mustn’t be business. She visits Saori a lot, the social media coordinator… now that he thinks about it, Yagami can’t believe he never noticed the open flirting between them. They’ve  _ gotta  _ be dating.

He processes all this while on his lunch break, focus split between his new discoveries and his food. The sausage in his bento is hard to pick up when half his vision is impaired…

“Take the eyepatch off, idiot. You’re on break.”

A finger stretches the eyepatch strap. It stings his forehead. “Ow.” Yagami blindly slaps at his right side, smirking when he hears an annoyed grunt in response. He quickly schools his expression to mock hurt when Kaito sits across him.

“Been meaning to ask ya something.” Not taking the obvious bait he leans forward, studying him close. “I can tell you’ve got some experience.”

“In what, sword fighting? I tried fencing for a few months, wasn’t my thing.”

“Nah, I mean in fights. You know, getting into scrapes, street brawls, that sorta stuff. You’ve got a practiced enough stance that makes me tell it ain’t your first rodeo by a long shot.”

“So? What’s it to you?”

Yagami doesn't mean to get defensive. But the way Kaito’s sizing him up, assessing him in a new light, different from when they first met - it gets Yagami flustered all of a sudden.

“I won’t tell,” Kaito drops his voice, quiet like it’s a secret, “I’m only asking ‘cause I’m interested in seein’ where your strengths lie. The more I know, the better I can mentor you.”

The dude’s really charismatic. It’s hard to say no to him. Not like Yagami wants to, anyway, this partnership is mutually beneficial for the both of them. Working one-on-one with him away from the prying eyes of the crew sounds almost fun. He nods. “Anytime after work, I’m game.”

______

“Get Tiger Dropped!”

“You don’t have to yell out the name of the move every time you use it like some shitty anime, argh, christ--!”

“Are you calling Naruto a shitty anime? Huh, Kaito-san? Huh?”

Kaito coughs, reeling from the hit. Lips twitching, he takes his chance. “Yes. Yes I am.”

Yagami charges, roaring. To those passing by, it looks like one taunt too many set these two tipsy idiots into a fist-fight behind a bar in Kamurocho. But even before the headlock and throw that sends the both of them tumbling to the concrete they’ve been laughing their asses off. It ends in a tie when Yagami clambers over Kaito to count him down from ten. He gives up on six, collapsing onto Kaito’s heaving chest.

“Man, your legs are registered weapons! I’ve seen the soles of your sneakers more times today than your face.”

“Hah. Yeah. Martial arts an’ all that.”

“Nuh-uh, that was straight up parkour. Shit, how long did it take you to master that wall kick?”

Yagami shrugs, warmth bubbling at the praise. “Gotta improvise when you’re fending for yourself out on the street, I guess.”

Soon as he says that the air turns somber. Kaito sits them both up against a wall, sides pressed each other. 

“Shit,” and this one’s more hushed, more careful, “all that cool stuff comes at a price, right?”

Yagami shrugs again. “Yeah. But I’m using those skills to make something useful out of myself now. Can’t be a rebellious punk and expect to live a fulfilling life past thirty.”

How drunk is he, spilling his guts and past to a guy he’s known for mere months? And yet, Yagami doesn’t feel ashamed, like this man is worth his trust. He’s definitely earned through his hard work and stubborn dedication and the way he wraps an arm around Yagami’s slim shoulders, pulling him in with a wistful chuckle.

“Past me and you would’ve gotten along jus’ fine.” Heat rises to his cheek, head lolled to a broad chest, words reverberating straight into Yagami’s ears. “Took a likin’ to punks like you back when I was in the yakuza.”

Kaito admits the last part in a whisper, almost like he’s debating whether to say it or not as the words are spoken into being. Loyalty and trust... Yagami snuggles in closer in response, hiding a relieved smile. “What about now? Still like me even though I’m an adult with a steady job and taxes to pay?”

It’s not a serious question - but Kaito answers with all the sincerity in the world: “More than ever, Ta-bo.”

______

In the weeks to come, there was nothing that could trample Yagami’s good mood: work was bearable, he actually hung out with his co-workers. And Kaito was always there, a companion who understood him, who matched his ebbs and flows as if he occupied his heart and soul. Yagami, too, hopes he has a place in Kaito’s heart for him.

Until one day he doesn’t show up to work.

No one can get a hold of him.  _ Need a day off to sort through some personal bullshit, _ is the last text his manager’s received. She’s more than happy to grant him one, considering how hard he’s worked with hardly a break in between shootings. But then one day turns into the next, and no one’s heard a peep. And then:

“Look at this.” Saori shoves her laptop in front of Yagami. Her gaze doesn’t leave the screen, unblinking behind her glasses.

_ Kamurocho Gangs Turning To The Big Screen? Up-And-Coming Studio’s Stunt Coordinator Arrested As Part of Elaborate Yakuza Plot - One of Many Fronts To Be Dismantled. _

A picture of Kaito in his classic gaudy shirt and being led away in cuffs dominates the screen. The grainy pixels obscure it, but he’s scowling like he usually does when he pouts after losing at roulette. The laptop shakes in Yagami’s hands.

“Found it from a journalist insider. They’ve got all the evidence they need to convict Kaito-san. It’s most likely why he hasn’t been able to contact us. The police must’ve had him locked up. Whole thing sounds fishy.”

Her demeanor takes on a quiet outrage, breath coming out faster than usual. Kaito might’ve teased her, but he was always nice to her. He was nice to everybody. Yagami clenches his teeth. “When’s the trial?”

“Next week.”

“Are we getting Mafuyu on the case?”

Saori shakes her head. “We can’t afford it. We spent the majority of our budget on the new hires.”

A sudden case. Too fast arrest. Unreasonable confinement. It screams of injustice. Yagami storms off, an old fire blazing with indignation.

Saori doesn’t stop him, prevents the others from holding him back. A tiny smile flickers to life. “Go get him, Yagami-san.”

______

The day of the trial. The absolutely bullshit trial. Kaito can't believe he’s sucked back into this mess. He thought he’d washed his hands of it, cut off the ties he had with the yakuza and its cutthroat leader who hated his guts.

But apparently, the sentiment was only on his end. Because here he is, sitting in the hard chair of the courtroom. It doesn’t matter if he’s made himself a good clean life to live: his past still comes to haunt him for leaving the Matsugane family the way he did, all honorable and self-sacrificing, like a martyr. Hamura had hated that, resented it.

Now, the guy must be laughing for sure. Kaito feels like he’s in the electric chair and all of this is just a formality. Whatever defense he had was doubtless scared away by his goons. Who needs solid evidence when brute force is more than enough to cinch a sentence?

The doors open. The judges file in, call for order. Everyone eyes the empty seats on the defense’s side. Kaito closes his eyes, breathes in his last moment of free air…

“Sorry I’m late!”

A familiar voice yells across the courtroom. Kaito’s eyes snap open. No way. Why is he…!

The judge clears his throat. “Ahem. Please don’t waste our time by being late, Defense Lawyer…?”

The man clutches a few folders to his chest, rounding the defense’s desk. He smiles apologetically. “Sorry, sorry. It’s Yagami. Defense Lawyer Yagami.”

He’s in a suit. He’s an actor, who used to be a delinquent punk kid, and now he’s in a suit, acting like he belongs in a courtroom! Kaito stares in open-mouthed shock. “Ta...bo?”

Yagami winks at him. Oh.  _ Oh. _ He looks really good in a suit. Not to mention that little badge gives a pop of color that complements the passion alighting his normally cool eyes.

“The trial of Masaharu Kaito has begun. All rise…”

______

There are a million questions zipping through Kaito’s mind, mutely following Yagami out the building and into freshly regained freedom: how he knew about his old gang, how it was all a set-up, where he found  _ Higashi  _ of all people to testify for him. How did he know all that? Yagami must’ve done two weeks worth of work in just a few days.

Instead, the only question he settles for asking is, “You have a suit? I thought your closet was all jeans and leather jackets.” Of course. His brain is still fried.

Yagami laughs lightly at that, tugging at the tie. “Ah, right. This is from when I used to be a lawyer. Rebellious punk me was angry at the world so I studied my ass off to help those who were in the same position as me. Then, things happened, and…”

He trails off. His gaze flicks to the floor, lost in the past. Kaito moves forward to place a grounding hand on his shoulder. After a long while he shakes his head.

“Still got my badge and everything, I haven’t been disbarred. Don’t worry, you were defended by a legit lawyer.”

They won. Against all odds, they won the case. Yagami should be happy. Why isn’t he happy?

It’s then that Kaito realizes that he’s hardly made a peep. A man like him, usually so vibrant and outspoken, is shocked into silence - belatedly, he realizes what it must look like to Yagami: why isn’t he talking back? Is he grateful? Offended? Has he trespassed upon some secret ex-yakuza code of honor?

No. It’s none of those things. All he knows… is that Yagami looks  _ damn  _ good in a suit.

Kaito says this as he rushes forward in the tightest hug he’s ever given, leaning up to whisper breathlessly into Yagami’s ear. He hears folders falling to the floor as he returns it, shaking with laughter: his friend, his pal, his unconditional partner.


End file.
